Why have small churches remained small? And why has this mandate in Mark 16:15 not impacted the thousands of small, denominational churches across the country? When you consider the plan of salvation, how can a church not grow? Because of the positive growth in many nondenominational churches, some church leaders falsely assume they can have the same results by abandoning their denominational heritage. However, most people are attracted to a particular church because they feel welcomed by the people in that church, and because of that church's unique ministry in their community. While it may be helpful to de-emphasize the denominational connection, it is a mistake to abandon it. As you read The Little Brown Church in the Vale, you will be challenged to take a fresh look at the direction your ministry and your church is taking.

Clinical psychologist and clergywoman Lucille F. Sider adds her voice to the chorus of women in the #WhyIDidntReport and #MeToo movements. This is Lucille’s story of resilience and hope as a survivor of sexual abuse. She explains the challenges of finding her way out of a fear-based spirituality into one that is full of grace, hope and forgiveness. The unique richness of her book is that she wrote it to spark healing discussion. As she describes her experiences in these pages, she also steps back and offers helpful analysis as both a psychologist and a clergywoman. At the end of the book, she includes a complete study guide with questions for reflection for individuals, small groups and classes. “The book is arranged to be a valuable tool in the hands of persons in the helping professions, such as clergy, social workers, psychologists,” writes the Rev. Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent Emerita and Ambassador of The Wesleyan Church. “This writing is so powerful, yet gentle, that people will be able to add their own words to combat the pain. Lucille’s credentials enhance the power of the story. Truly a book for these days!” Lucille was just 6 years old when she was abused both physically and sexually by a hired man on the family’s farm. Lucille’s inner conflict about these experiences, propelled her into a childhood of guilt and shame. While Lucille was an outstanding student, singer and athlete, she lived with an underlying fear, loneliness and mild depression. A second sexual abuse by her brother-in-law, when she was just 15 years old, added to Lucille’s fears. When she tried to tell her parents about this, their response was only to pray for her—so, she kept these painful events secret for years. Many years later, her brother in law was arrested for molesting a 15-year-old girl. Lucille and others, including his own daughter, testified against him and he was incarcerated. Raised in a conservative household and faith, Lucille went to college and seminary to search for a theology that was full of grace and forgiveness. She found this especially at Yale Divinity School, though she always lived with a mild depression. Her struggle to understand both her faith and psyche led her to earn a PhD from Northwestern University in psychology and religion. She became a clinical psychologist and pastoral counselor and later the Executive Director of The Samaritan Pastoral Counseling Center in Evanston, Illinois. At age 50, when her husband suddenly divorced her, Lucille was cast into darkness and despair which resulted in major depression. Lucille became dysfunctional and had to step down as Executive Director of her counseling center. Years of therapy led her to new ways of offering and sharing her gifts, which included writing stories and ministering to seniors, especially those suffering from dementia. In Light Shines in the Darkness, Lucille F. Sider shares her unique story of sexual abuse and severe mental illness, including depression and PTSD. She describes her legal battle in fighting for justice and her ongoing persistence in finding ways to remain stable. She calls these her mental health and spiritual practices and they include: counseling, medication, meditation, healthy diet, exercise, daily prayer and church attendance. In sharing her story, Lucille now is helping others along their journeys from sexual abuse to stability—to find their own hope and their own light that shines through the darkness. “Timely, compelling and courageous, this autobiography lays bare the trauma of both child and adolescent abuse,” writes Carol Schreck, Professor Emerita of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Palmer Theological Seminary. “This book deserves to be read by any adult who, living in a culture where 80 percent of females have experienced some form of sexual abuse by the age of 18, are no longer content to keep their proverbial head in the sand.”

This book is about the times and the people who lived during World War II. About life in small town mid-America: the schoolhouse, the grocery stores, the barber shop, the taverns, and the characters. Particularly, it is about the people and what life was like during the war. Like the soldiers who fought in WWII, the people who grew up then are also slipping away, and these are their stories. Those times may well mark the zenith of American greatness, not only politically and economically, but also spiritually. We had both religious and patriotic spirituality, a nation populated with churches, a nation that had sent its young men around the world twice in the twentieth century, in the name of freedom for others. It was a nation of goodness, of strong families, a time we are not likely to ever see again. This book is about that time, stories that should be told, stories our children and grandchildren need to hear.

Aaron Benham, an English professor, writes a novel that mirrors his own experiences in a college town after the Second World War.